Scan barcode
A review by nicdoeswords
We Ate the Dark by Mallory Pearson
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
*My copy of this ARC was gifted by the author. Aside from wanting to keep up my netgalley rating, I was under no pressure or obligation to read or review it ahead of its release.
We Ate the Dark is a masterclass in atmosphere. This book covers a lot of thematic ground — female friendships, the dark side of magic/witchery/power, growing up and away from the people you love, death and loss, jealousy and guilty, etc — and does so through meticulous setting and character work. The town of Loring sparkled with description, and I felt like I could practically taste each winding road and bend in the river and sticky vinyl seat at a diner.
Perhaps my favorite thing about this book was the ways it navigated the idea that you can often find yourself disliking someone you love. Many of us do have this seemingly unbreakable bond with people we met when we were young, and the ways that bond can be tested teach us a lot about what it's like to love and be in relationship to another person. The lines between lover and friend and family member blur into a really beautiful tapestry dedicated to telling us about love! How cool is that.
This book is marketed as sapphic literary horror, and delivers on all counts. I'm a weenie so the horror felt like the perfect amount for me: unsettling and creepy and a little gorey but very much within what I felt like I could handle. The lyrical language and descriptions also offered a bit of distance from the grotesque, which I appreciated. The messy sapphic relationships also slapped, and I think every character felt deeply deeply grounded in what it's like to be a queer woman in the world. I felt really seen as a lesbian in this story! That always means a lot to me as a reader and it's no surprise that Pearson nailed the execution.
My other favorite thing (and I think an important note for potential readers!) is about the ending. I'm not going into any specific details so don't worry about plot spoilers, but skip the following if you want to go in totally blind.The ending, both in terms of plot and in terms of relationships, was left really open, and I think that was such a smart choice. We get some closure around Sofia and the Fissure but not much, and Pearson really trusts the reader to figure it out and close the loop on their own. I am a "too easy closed ending" hater so this was ideal for me. I also LOVED that Marya and Frankie didn't end up putting labels on anything or sharing a Hollywood kiss. The messy in between works perfectly for them as characters and the way their relationship blossomed over the course of the story.
I could say so much more but I think I am going to leave it here for now and share more gushing on my booktok account. For now just know that I loved this story and cannot wait for it to come out and find its readership!
We Ate the Dark is a masterclass in atmosphere. This book covers a lot of thematic ground — female friendships, the dark side of magic/witchery/power, growing up and away from the people you love, death and loss, jealousy and guilty, etc — and does so through meticulous setting and character work. The town of Loring sparkled with description, and I felt like I could practically taste each winding road and bend in the river and sticky vinyl seat at a diner.
Perhaps my favorite thing about this book was the ways it navigated the idea that you can often find yourself disliking someone you love. Many of us do have this seemingly unbreakable bond with people we met when we were young, and the ways that bond can be tested teach us a lot about what it's like to love and be in relationship to another person. The lines between lover and friend and family member blur into a really beautiful tapestry dedicated to telling us about love! How cool is that.
This book is marketed as sapphic literary horror, and delivers on all counts. I'm a weenie so the horror felt like the perfect amount for me: unsettling and creepy and a little gorey but very much within what I felt like I could handle. The lyrical language and descriptions also offered a bit of distance from the grotesque, which I appreciated. The messy sapphic relationships also slapped, and I think every character felt deeply deeply grounded in what it's like to be a queer woman in the world. I felt really seen as a lesbian in this story! That always means a lot to me as a reader and it's no surprise that Pearson nailed the execution.
My other favorite thing (and I think an important note for potential readers!) is about the ending. I'm not going into any specific details so don't worry about plot spoilers, but skip the following if you want to go in totally blind.
I could say so much more but I think I am going to leave it here for now and share more gushing on my booktok account. For now just know that I loved this story and cannot wait for it to come out and find its readership!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Grief
Moderate: Body horror